Image courtesy of hortongroup.com.

Reading aloud to our children is important to us. In the past, our read aloud times took place on the couch just before bedtime. I enjoyed the reading but I didn’t like the seemingly endless dawdling that occurred between getting up from the couch and actually climbing into bed. A new system was in order and we recently adopted one suggested to me by a veteran homeschooling friend. It works beautifully. Here’s what we do:

1. Before read aloud begins, all nighttime routines must be complete. This includes bathing, brushing teeth, getting jammied, getting a drink, and going to the bathroom.
2. Everyone gets tucked in bed, prayers are prayed and all bedroom lights go out.
3. Only then do I sit in the common hallway and read loud enough so all can hear.
4. Once the reading is over, I turn off the hallway light and whisper a soft “Good night!” and “I love you!” as I walk away. Simple.

Not only has our new system eliminated the dawdling, the kids love it! Apparently there’s something extra special about being all snuggled up in bed, listening to a great story before drifting off to sleep.

Amy Andrews is a mom of 4 and on a constant quest to get a grip. She blogs at withpurpose.com.